Binge Eating Disorder

 FAQ Binge Eating Disorder

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Binge eating disorder is the most common type of eating disorder in the World. 

People with binge eating disorder often feel out of control and eat a large amount of food at one time (called a binge). Unlike other eating disorders, people who have binge eating disorder do not throw up the food or exercise too much. Binge eating disorder is a serious health problem, but people with binge eating disorder can get better with treatment.

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What is binge eating disorder?

Binge eating disorder is a type of eating disorder. Eating disorders are mental health problems that cause extreme and dangerous eating behaviors. These extreme eating behaviors cause other serious health problems and sometimes death. Some eating disorders also involve extreme exercise.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, women with binge eating disorder feel out of control and eat too much (binge), at least once a week for at least three months. During binges women with binge eating disorder usually eat faster than normal, eat until they are uncomfortable, eat when they are not physically hungry, and feel embarrassed, disgusted, or depressed because of the binges. Women with this type of eating disorder may be overweight or obese.

What is the difference between binge eating disorder and other eating disorders?

Women with eating disorders, such as binge eating disorder, bulimia, and anorexia, have a mental health condition that affects how they eat, and sometimes how they exercise. These eating disorders threaten their health.

Unlike people with anorexia or bulimia, people with binge eating disorder do not throw up their food, exercise a lot, or starve themselves. People with binge eating disorder are often overweight or obese. But not all people with binge eating disorder are overweight, and being overweight does not always mean you have binge eating disorder.

It is possible to have more than one eating disorder in your lifetime. Regardless of what type of eating disorder you may have, you can get better with treatment.

Who is at risk for binge eating disorder?

Binge eating disorder affects more than 3% of women in the United States. More than half of people with binge eating disorder are women.

Binge eating disorder affects women of all races and ethnicities. It is the most common eating disorder among Hispanic, Asian-American, and African-American women.

Some women may be more at risk for binge eating disorder.

• Women and girls who diet often are 12 times more likely to binge eat than women and girls who do not diet.
• Binge eating disorder affects more young and middle-aged women than older women. On average, women develop binge eating disorder in their early to mid-20s.6 But eating disorders are happening more often in older women. In one study, 13% of American women over 50 had signs of an eating disorder.

What are the symptoms of binge eating disorder?

It can be difficult to tell whether someone has binge eating disorder. Many women with binge eating disorder hide their behavior because they are embarrassed.  

You may have binge eating disorder if, for at least once a week over the past three months, you have binged. Binge eating disorder means you have at least three of these symptoms while binging:

• Eating faster than normal
• Eating until uncomfortably full
• Eating large amounts of food when not hungry
• Eating alone because of embarrassment
• Feeling disgusted, depressed, or guilty afterward

People with binge eating disorder may also have other mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, or substance abuse.

What causes binge eating disorder?

Researchers are not sure exactly what causes binge eating disorder and other eating disorders. Researchers think that eating disorders might happen because of a combination of a person's biology and life events. This combination includes having specific genes, a person's biology, body image and self-esteem, social experiences, family health history, and sometimes other mental health illnesses.

Studies suggest that people with binge eating disorder may use overeating as a way to deal with anger, sadness, boredom, anxiety, or stress.

Researchers are studying how changing levels of brain chemicals may affect eating habits. Neuroimaging, or pictures of the brain, may lead to a better understanding of binge eating disorder.

Learn more about current research on binge eating disorder.

How does binge eating disorder affect a woman's health?

Many, but not all, women with binge eating disorder are overweight or obese. Obesity raises your risk for many serious health problems:

• Type 2 diabetes
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Gallbladder disease
• Certain types of cancer, including breast, endometrial (a type of uterine cancer), colorectal, kidney, esophageal, pancreatic, thyroid, and gallbladder cancer
• Problems with your menstrual cycle, including preventing ovulation, which can make it harder to get pregnant

People with binge eating disorder often have other serious mental health illnesses such as depression, anxiety, or substance abuse. These problems can seriously affect a woman's everyday life and can be treated.

How is binge eating disorder diagnosed?

Your doctor or nurse will ask you questions about your symptoms and medical history. It may be difficult to talk to a doctor or nurse about secret eating behaviors. But doctors and nurses want to help you be healthy. Being honest about your eating behaviors with a doctor or nurse is a good way to ask for help.

Your doctor may also do blood, urine, or other tests for other health problems, such as heart problems or gallbladder disease, that can be caused by binge eating disorder.

How is binge eating disorder treated?

Your doctor may refer you to a team of doctors, nutritionists, and therapists who will work to help you get better.

Treatment plans may include one or more of the following:

• Psychotherapy.Sometimes called "talk therapy," psychotherapy is counseling to help you change any harmful thoughts or behaviors. This therapy may focus on the importance of talking about your feelings and how they affect what you do. For example, you might talk about how stress triggers a binge. You may work one-on-one with a therapist or in a group with others who have binge eating disorder.
• Nutritional counseling. A registered dietitian can help you eat in a healthier way.
• Medicine, such as appetite suppressants or antidepressants prescribed by a doctor. Antidepressants may help some girls and women with binge eating disorder who also have anxiety or depression.

Most girls and women do get better with treatment and are able to eat in healthy ways again. Some may get better after the first treatment. Others get well but may relapse and need treatment again.

How does binge eating disorder affect pregnancy?

Binge eating disorder can cause problems getting pregnant and during pregnancy. Pregnancy can also trigger binge eating disorder.

Obesity raises the level of the hormone estrogen in your body. Higher levels of estrogen can stop you from ovulating, or releasing an egg from the ovary. This can make it more difficult to get pregnant. However, if you do not want to have children right now and have sex, you should use birth control.

Overweight or obesity may also cause problems during pregnancy. Overweight and obesity raises your risk for:

• Gestational hypertension (high blood pressure during pregnancy) and preeclampsia (high blood pressure and kidney problems during pregnancy). If not controlled, both problems can threaten the life of the mother and the baby.
• Gestational diabetes (diabetes that starts during pregnancy). If not controlled, gestational diabetes can cause you to have a large baby. This raises your risk for a C-section.

Pregnancy can raise the risk for binge eating disorder in women who are at higher risk for eating disorders. In one study, almost half of the women with binge eating disorder got the condition during pregnancy. The research suggests that binge eating during pregnancy may be caused by:

• Worry over pregnancy weight gain. Women may binge because they feel a loss of control over their bodies because of the pregnancy weight.
• Greater stress during pregnancy
• Depression
• History of smoking and alcohol abuse
• Lack of social support

After pregnancy, postpartum depression and weight from pregnancy can trigger binge eating disorder in women with a history of binge eating. Women with binge eating disorder before pregnancy often gain more weight during pregnancy than women without an eating disorder. Researchers think that weight gain during pregnancy may cause some women who had binge eating disorder before pregnancy to binge eat during pregnancy.

If I had an eating disorder in the past, can I still get pregnant?

Yes. Women who have recovered from binge eating disorder, are at a healthy weight, and have normal menstrual cycles have a better chance of getting pregnant and having a safe and healthy pregnancy.

Tell your doctor if you had an eating disorder in the past and are trying to become pregnant.

If I take medicine to treat binge eating disorder, can I breastfeed my baby?

Maybe. Some medicines used to treat binge eating disorder can pass through breastmilk. Certain antidepressants can be used safely during breastfeeding.

Talk to your doctor to find out what medicine works best for you. Learn more about medicines and breastfeeding in our Breastfeeding section. You can also enter a medicine into the database to find out if the medicine passes through breastmilk and about any possible side effects for your nursing baby

50 Super Food for Health

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A vast number of foods are both healthy and tasty. By filling your plate with fruits, vegetables, quality protein, and other whole foods, you’ll have meals that are colourful, versatile, and good for you.

Image: unjeck Unsplash Nutrieat-Superfoods

Here are 50 incredibly healthy foods. Most of them are surprisingly delicious.

Super Fruits and berries

Fruits and berries are among the world’s most popular health foods.These sweet, nutritious foods are very easy to incorporate into your diet because they require little to no preparation.

1. Apples

Apples are high in fibre, vitamin C, and numerous antioxidants. They are very filling and make the perfect snack if you find yourself hungry between meals.

2. Avocados

Avocados are different than most fruits because they are loaded with healthy fats instead of carbs. Not only are they creamy and tasty but also high in fibre, potassium, and vitamin C.

3. Bananas

Bananas are among the world’s best sources of potassium. They’re also high in vitamin B6 and fibre, as well as convenient and portable.

4. Blueberries

Blueberries are not only delicious but also among the most powerful sources of antioxidants in the world.

5. Oranges

Oranges are well known for their vitamin C content. What’s more, they’re high in fibre and antioxidants.

6. Strawberries

Strawberries are highly nutritious and low in both carbs and calories.

They are loaded with vitamin C, fibre, and manganese and are arguably among the most delicious foods in existence.

Other healthy fruits

Other health fruits and berries include cherries, grapes, grapefruit, kiwifruit, lemons, mango, melons, olives, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, and raspberries.

7. Eggs

Eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet.

They were previously demonised for being high in cholesterol, but new studies show that they’re perfectly safe and healthy (1 Source)

Meats

Unprocessed, gently cooked meat is one of the most nutritious foods you can eat.

8. Lean beef

Lean beef is among the best sources of protein in existence and loaded with highly bioavailable iron. Choosing the fatty cuts is fine if you’re on a low-carb diet.

9. Chicken breasts

Chicken breast is low in fat and calories but extremely high in protein. It’s a great source of many nutrients. Again, feel free to eat fattier cuts of chicken if you’re not eating that many carbs.

10. Lamb

Lambs are usually grass-fed, and their meat tends to be high in omega-3 fatty acids.

Nuts and seeds

Despite being high in fat and calories, nuts and seeds may help you lose weight (3 Source, 4 Source).

These foods are crunchy, filling, and loaded with important nutrients that many people don't get enough of, including magnesium and vitamin E.

They also require almost no preparation, so they’re easy to add to your routine.

11. Almonds

Almonds are a popular nut loaded with vitamin E, antioxidants, magnesium, and fiber. Studies show that almonds can help you lose weight and improve metabolic health (5 Source).

12. Chia seeds

Chia seeds are among the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. A single ounce (28 grams) packs 11 grams of fiber and significant amounts of magnesium, manganese, calcium, and various other nutrients.

13. Coconuts

Coconuts are loaded with fiber and powerful fatty acids called medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs).

14. Macadamia nuts

Macadamia nuts are very tasty. They’re much higher in monounsaturated fats and lower in omega-6 fatty acids than most other nuts.

15. Walnuts

Walnuts are highly nutritious and loaded with fibre and various vitamins and minerals.

Vegetables

Calorie for calorie, vegetables are among the world’s most concentrated sources of nutrients.

There’s a wide variety available, and it’s best to eat many different types every day.

16. Asparagus

Asparagus is a popular vegetable. It’s low in both carbs and calories but loaded with vitamin K.

17. Bell peppers

Bell peppers come in several colours, including red, yellow, and green. They’re crunchy and sweet, as well as a great source of antioxidants and vitamin C.

18. Broccoli

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that tastes great both raw and cooked. It’s an excellent source of fibre and vitamins C and K and contains a decent amount of protein compared with other vegetables.

19. Carrots

Carrots are a popular root vegetable. They are extremely crunchy and loaded with nutrients like fibre and vitamin K.

Carrots are also very high in carotene antioxidants, which have numerous benefits.

20. Cauliflower

Cauliflower is a very versatile cruciferous vegetable. It can be used to make a multitude of healthy dishes ― and also tastes good on its own.

21. Cucumber

Cucumbers are one of the world’s most popular vegetables. They’re very low in both carbs and calories, consisting mostly of water. However, they contain a number of nutrients in small amounts, including vitamin K.

22. Garlic

Garlic is incredibly healthy. It contains bioactive organosulfur compounds that have powerful biological effects, including improved immune function (8 Source).

23. Kale

Kale has become increasingly popular because it’s incredibly high in fibre, vitamins C and K, and a number of other nutrients. It adds a satisfying crunch to salads and other dishes.

24. Onions

Onions have a very strong flavour and are very popular in many recipes. They contain a number of bioactive compounds believed to have health benefits.

25. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are usually categorised as a vegetable, although they are technically a fruit. They are tasty and loaded with nutrients like potassium and vitamin C.

More healthy vegetables

Most vegetables are very healthy. Others worth mentioning include artichokes, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, celery, eggplant, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, radishes, squash, Swiss chard, turnips, and zucchini.

Fish and seafood

Fish and other seafood tend to be very healthy and nutritious.

They’re especially rich in omega-3 fatty acids and iodine, two nutrients in which most people are deficient.

Studies show that people who eat the highest amounts of seafood especially fish tend to live longer and have a lower risk of many illnesses, including heart disease, dementia, and depression ( 9 Source, 10, 11).

26. Salmon

Salmon is a type of oily fish that’s incredibly popular due to its excellent taste and high amount of nutrients, including protein and omega-3 fatty acids. It also contains some vitamin D.

27. Sardines

Sardines are small, oily fish that are among the most nutritious foods you can eat. They boast sizeable amounts of most nutrients that your body needs.

28. Shellfish

Shellfish ranks similarly to organ meats when it comes to nutrient density. Edible shellfish include clams, mollusks, and oysters.

29. Shrimp

Shrimp is a type of crustacean related to crabs and lobsters. It tends to be low in fat and calories but high in protein. It’s also loaded with various other nutrients, including selenium and vitamin B12.

30. Trout

Trout is another type of delicious freshwater fish, similar to salmon.

31. Tuna

Tuna is very popular in Western countries and tends to be low in fat and calories while high in protein. It’s perfect for people who need to add more protein to their diets but keep calories low.

Grains

Although grains have gotten a bad rap in recent years, some types are very healthy.

Just keep in mind that they’re relatively high in carbs, so they’re not recommended for a low-carb diet.

32. Brown rice

Rice is one of the most popular cereal grains and is currently a staple food for more than half of the world’s population. Brown rice is fairly nutritious, with a decent amount of fibre, vitamin B1, and magnesium.

33. Oats

Oats are incredibly healthy. They are loaded with nutrients and powerful filers called beta glucans, which provide numerous benefits.

34. Quinoa

Quinoa has become incredibly popular among health-conscious individuals in recent years. It’s a tasty grain that’s high in nutrients, such as fibre and magnesium. It is also an excellent source of plant-based protein.

Breads

Many people eat a lot of highly processed white bread.

For those trying to adopt a healthier diet, it can be extremely challenging to find healthy breads. Even so, options are available.

35. Ezekiel bread

Ezekiel bread may be the healthiest bread you can buy. It’s made from organic, sprouted whole grains, as well as several legumes.

36. Homemade low-carb breads

Overall, the best choice for bread may be that which you can make yourself.

Legumes

Legumes are another food group that has been unfairly demonised.

While it’s true that legumes contain anti-nutrients, which can interfere with digestion and absorption of nutrients, they can be eliminated by soaking and proper preparation (Source 12).

Therefore, legumes are a great plant-based source of protein.

37. Green beans

Green beans, also called string beans, are unripe varieties of the common bean. They are very popular in Western countries.

38. Kidney beans

Kidney beans are loaded with fiber and various vitamins and minerals. Make sure to cook them properly, as they’re toxic when raw.

39. Lentils

Lentils are another popular legume. They’re high in fiber and among the best sources of plant-based protein.

40. Peanuts

Peanuts (which are legumes, not a true nuts) are incredibly tasty and high in nutrients and antioxidants. Several studies suggest that peanuts can help you lose weight (6 Source, 7 Source).

However, take it easy on the peanut butter, as it’s very high in calories and easy to overeat.

Dairy

For those who can tolerate them, dairy products are a healthy source of various important nutrients.

Full-fat dairy seems to be the best, and studies show that people who eat the most full-fat dairy have a lower risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes (13, 14Source).

If the dairy comes from grass-fed cows, it may be even more nutritious ― as it’s higher in some bioactive fatty acids like conjugated linoleum acid (CLA) and vitamin K2.

41. Cheese

Cheese is incredibly nutritious, as a single slice may offer about the same amount of nutrients as an entire cup (240 ml) of milk. For many, it’s also one of the most delicious foods you can eat.

42. Whole milk

Whole milk is very high in vitamins, minerals, quality animal protein, and healthy fats. What’s more, it’s one of the best dietary sources of calcium.

43. Yogurt

Yogurt is made from milk that’s fermented by adding live bacteria to it. It has many of the same health effects as milk, but yogurt with live cultures has the added benefit of friendly probiotic bacteria.

Fats and oils

Many fats and oils are now marketed as health foods, including several sources of saturated fat that were previously demonised.

44. Butter from grass-fed cows

Butter from grass-fed cows is high in many important nutrients, including vitamin K2.

45. Coconut oil

Coconut oil contains relatively high amounts of MCTs, may aid Alzheimer’s disease, and has been shown to help you lose belly fat (15 Source, 16 Source).

46. Extra virgin olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil is one of the healthiest vegetable oils you can find. It contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and is very high in antioxidants with powerful health benefits.

Tubers

Tubers are the storage organs of some plants. They tend to contain a number of beneficial nutrients.

47. Potatoes

Potatoes are loaded with potassium and contain a little bit of almost every nutrient you need, including vitamin C.

They’ll also keep you full for long periods. One study analysed 38 foods and found that boiled potatoes were by far the most filling (17 Source).

48. Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are among the most delicious starchy foods you can eat. They’re loaded with antioxidants and all sorts of healthy nutrients.

49. Apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is incredibly popular in the natural health community. Studies show that it can help lower blood sugar levels and cause modest weight loss (18, 19 Source).

It’s great to use as a salad dressing or to add flavour to meals.

50. Dark chocolate

Dark chocolate is loaded with magnesium and serves as one of the planet’s most powerful sources of antioxidants .

Whether you want to overhaul your diet or simply change up your meals, it’s easy to add a number of these foods to your routine.

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